Will my child be bored?

Not if they are given something genuinely hard. Boredom at this age is almost always under-challenge.

There are challenges, but the scoring rewards iteration over first-try success.

Does it help with school?

It targets the habits, not the syllabus, which is the part school has no time to teach.

Middle School STEM Summer Camp in Des Plaines, IL

Families searching for Middle School STEM Summer Camp in Des Plaines, IL are mostly asking one question: will this week actually change anything, or is it childcare with a science theme. Des Plaines has a population of about 58,918.

Ages 11-14 · For families · Illinois · Midwest

Middle School STEM Summer Camp — Ellis Abel Learns STEM summer camp materials used in Des Plaines, IL

What the week actually is

Middle school is the drop-off point. Students who were curious at ten start performing disinterest at twelve because being wrong in front of peers has become expensive. This week is built to make being wrong cheap again.

Day by day

Pick the problem and write the prediction
First build, first failure
Diagnose what actually went wrong
Rebuild and test against the prediction
Showcase: explain it to the room

Des Plaines, IL — what applies locally

Des Plaines has a population of about 58,918.
State: Illinois · Region: Midwest

Questions we get from Des Plaines, IL

Will my child be bored?: Not if they are given something genuinely hard. Boredom at this age is almost always under-challenge.
Is it competitive?: There are challenges, but the scoring rewards iteration over first-try success.
Does it help with school?: It targets the habits, not the syllabus, which is the part school has no time to teach.

Other camp themes in Des Plaines

STEM Summer CampAges 5-14 Robotics CampAges 8-14 Coding CampAges 7-14 Engineering CampAges 7-14 Science CampAges 5-14 Math CampAges 5-14 Space CampAges 7-14 Drone CampAges 9-14 Game Design CampAges 8-14 AI CampAges 10-14 Electronics CampAges 8-14 Chemistry CampAges 9-14 Nature Science CampAges 5-13 3D Printing CampAges 9-14 Minecraft STEM CampAges 7-12 Girls STEM CampAges 7-14 Neurodivergent STEM CampAges 6-14 Preschool STEM CampAges 3-5 Elementary STEM CampAges 5-10 High School STEM CampAges 14-18 Half-Day STEM CampAges 5-12 Week-Long STEM CampAges 6-14 Affordable STEM CampAges 5-14 Virtual STEM CampAges 7-14 Curriculum LicensingAges K-8 Church Youth STEMAges 5-14 After-School LicensingAges 5-14 District Summer STEMAges K-8 Parks & Rec STEM CampAges 5-13 Homeschool Co-op STEMAges 5-14 YMCA STEM CurriculumAges 5-14 Daycare Summer STEMAges 3-6 Start a STEM CampAges K-8

Middle School STEM Camp elsewhere in Illinois

Aurora, ILCity DeKalb, ILCity Oak Lawn, ILCity Calumet City, ILCity Belleville, ILCity Crystal Lake, ILCity Addison, ILCity Normal, ILCity

All Middle School STEM Camp locations · Full camp directory · Ask about a place